(Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned on Saturday
that international support for Syrian rebels would lead to "more
blood" and the government could not be expected to willingly give in
to its opponents.

Lavrov, whose country has vetoed three U.N. Security Council
resolutions intended to increase pressure on Syria´s government to
end 16 months of violence, said Western and Arab nations should exert
more influence on rebels to stop fighting.

He said "tragedy" could be imminent in the Syrian city of Aleppo, but
indicated rebels would be at least partly to blame.

"Pressure must be put on everyone," Lavrov said at a joint news
conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba after talks
in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, President Vladimir Putin´s summer
base.

"Unfortunately, our Western partners prefer to do something a bit
different and essentially, along with some countries neighboring
Syria, encourage, support and direct the armed fight against the
regime," he said.

"The price of all this is still more blood."

In the wake of the Security Council vetoes by Russia and China, the
United States has said it will seek ways to tackle the crisis outside
the U.N. [ID:nL2E8INLYP]

Gemba said it was "very serious moment" in Syria and it was primarily
up to the government to stop the bloodshed.

"The position of the Russian side has great influence, and there is
also the voice of the international community. We are counting on a
constructive Russian position," he said, speaking through an
interpreter.

Lavrov said Russia was calling on the government to "take the first
steps" but that the rebels should not take advantage of any such
government actions by occupying cities and towns.

"The city of Aleppo is occupied by the armed opposition and the next
tragedy is brewing there, as I understand it," he said.

"Well-armed opposition groups are occupying cities, intending to
create some sort of buffer zones for a transitional government. How
can one expect that the Syrian government will say, ´Yes, go ahead,
overthrow me,´" he said.